Railway track obstruction halts train in Tamil Nadu's Salem

A major train accident was prevented Tuesday night when the vigilant driver of the Erode–Chennai Yercaud Express identified signs of a potential hazard and quickly brought the train to a halt near Magudanchavadi in Salem district, Tamil Nadu.

While passing through Sangagiri, approximately 2 km from Magudanchavadi station in Tamil Nadu, the driver heard an unusual grinding noise and observed sparks emerging from beneath the wheels. Recognising a potential danger, he promptly slowed and halted the train, immediately notifying railway authorities.

Upon inspection, officials were alarmed to discover a heavy metal block lodged between the train wheels. The presence of this object raised serious concerns regarding a potential sabotage attempt intended to derail the train.

Railway Police immediately arrived at the site and initiated an investigation to find out how such a large and heavy metal block came to be placed on the track. Sources noted that the weight of the object made it unlikely for an individual to carry it alone, causing suspicion of deliberate sabotage.

The Yercaud Express had departed from Erode around 9 pm on Tuesday, and the incident occurred around 40 minutes into the train’s journey. Due to the driver’s quick thinking and action, a potential derailment and massive tragedy were successfully prevented.

In April, a similar incident occurred near Chennai when a potential mishap was averted after it was discovered that bolts were missing from a track alignment device during a late night inspection at Thiruvalangadu station on the busy Chennai-Arakkonam-Bengaluru route.

Written by Sneha A Suneeth